


If You Hurt Him - Wintergreen Edition

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [9]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Everyone loves Wintergreen, First Meetings, M/M, how else do I tag this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24373345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: "How did it go?""I think I just got adopted."
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1323779
Comments: 14
Kudos: 311





	If You Hurt Him - Wintergreen Edition

**Author's Note:**

> Dick is eighteen
> 
> Slade is sixty-three
> 
> Normally I don't include this, but the age difference (45 years) is discussed briefly

“I could be wrong,” Dick said as he and Slade drove down the road, on their way to Wintergreen’s apartment since the man had threatened to gut Slade if he didn’t get to meet the acrobat in the next fourteen days.

It had been thirteen.

“About what?” Slade asked casually, without taking his gaze from the road.

“Well it just seems like, out of the two of us, you’re more anxious for me to meet Mr. Wintergreen than I am.”

“I don’t get anxious,” Slade replied shortly, finally casting Dick a short glance when they pulled up to a stop sign. “And don’t call him Mr. Wintergreen.”

“Why not? It’s polite.”

“It’s weird.”

“Should I call him William then?”

“Wintergreen is fine.”

“You call him Wintergreen?”

“You say you’re not anxious, yet you’re talking a  _ lot _ ,” the mercenary pointed out.

“I always talk a lot,” Dick reminded him. “It’s part of my charm. And you avoided my question.”

“It seems I’ve forgotten what that was.”

“Yeah right.”

“Yes, I do. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

“Not really,” Dick admitted. “It just gives me more questions. Like, is he okay with you calling him that? Does he call you Wilson? How did you meet? Also, why did your parents name you Slade?” he frowned. “I think that last one is on the top of my list, actually.”

Slade heaved a long, tired sigh. “I am starting to regret this.”

“What’s this?” Dick asked. “Me meeting your friend or dating me?”

“Yes.”

Dick blinked. “Slade-”

“Oh look, we’re here.”

……………………………………

“Oh, a fair warning when we get in here,” Slade said suddenly after inserting his key into the lock.

“Fair warning on what?” Dick asked as they stepped into the apartment, though he never got an answer before a man a bit younger than Slade stepped into the living room.

“You’re late,” he said to the mercenary. Slade merely grunted before heading to the kitchen without another word.

“Sorry, I’m pretty sure he’s dreading this meeting,” Dick said with a laugh as the man approached. “You must be-Oh!”

His eyes went wide and he froze as he was drawn into a hug by who he assumed was William Wintergreen. “Uh, okay. This is happening.”

“I warned you,” Slade said from the kitchen doorway.

“No you didn’t,” Dick said, scowling though the expression softened when Wintergreen pulled back.

“You are every bit as young as I had both pictured and feared,” Wintergreen told him. Without looking away from Dick, Wintergreen said, “Slade, fuck off for a minute.”

Slade rolled his eyes - Dick could compare him to nothing else but a toddler, in that moment - before he vanished across the living room and down the hall. As soon as he was gone, Wintergreen dragged Dick over to the couch.

“Well, now that Slade isn’t listening.” he paused before looking down the hall. Dick frowned but after a moment of silence, he heard the bedroom door close and tried not to laugh as Wintergreen turned back to him. “ _ Now _ that Slade isn’t listening,” he said with a smile. “I have to ask. Is he hurting you?”

Dick blinked, taking a moment to process before, “No!” he declared, “No, no, he’s not. Slade is sweet. He’s...he’s very sweet.” after a moment he added, “Surprisingly.”

“Good,” Wintergreen said firmly. “And you’re entirely consenting in this?”

“I am.”

“Good,” Wintergreen repeated. “I had to check. Slade is...known for his temper.”

Dick chuckled. “Yeah, I know,” he replied. “But he’s...he’s good. To me. Which is...weird. A weird...concept. I sort of feel like I’m being played, but…”

“He wouldn’t dare,” Wintergreen murmured. “Slade plays with emotions, but never his own.”

“How do you know he’s emotionally invested in this?”

“He told me,” Wintergreen replied. “That he cares for you. Very deeply. More deeply, I believe, then he ever cared for Adeline.”

“Oh.” Dick didn’t know how to feel about that.

“Have you met his children?”

“I know Joey,” Dick replied. “I think I met Rose in passing once, when I was working as Renegade.”

“And Grant?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Grant and Slade do not see eye to eye,” Wintergreen said with a smile. “It’s very unlikely you’ll ever meet him. I haven’t seen him in years. Since he was a child, I think.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sure you’re expecting me to threaten you bodily harm if you hurt him,” Wintergreen said suddenly.

“Uh, I wasn’t but now I am,” Dick replied.

Wintergreen smiled. “I am no fool. As skilled and capable of you are, you could not hurt Slade even if you tried.”

“I could hurt him emotionally,” Dick suggested.

“He would get over it, just like he got over Adeline.”

“How?”

“By drowning himself in work.”

“That doesn’t sound healthy.”

“No?” Wintergreen asked, smiling. “Don’t you do the same thing?”

………………………………………….

“How did it go?” Slade asked a few hours later once they were on their way to Dick’s apartment. 

“I think I just got adopted,” Dick replied.

“You think?”

“Well, Bruce never actually adopted me so I don’t really know how it feels.”

Slade chuckled. “So it went well then.”

“I knew you were worried.”

“I had a few concerns, yes,” the mercenary admitted.

“Such as?”

“Well, it went well so they don’t matter,” Slade replied. “It’s over and for that, I am thankful.”

“He seems to approve.”

“Shockingly.”

Dick frowned over at him. “You thought he wouldn’t?”

Slade sighed. “Wintergreen is very much aware of the age difference between the two of us.”

“Forty-five years,” Dick chirped. He glanced at the glower Slade shot him before muttering, “Sorry.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of the difference, thank you for reminding me,” Slade drawled. “My point is that Wintergreen is aware as well.”

“I told him I was consenting. Well, he asked.”

“In any other case, if you were not a vigilante, I don’t think he would care,” Slade said, turning his gaze back to the road. “But he knows you can defend yourself if need be and...I think he knows...how much I care for you.”

“You really were worried about us meeting, weren’t you?” Dick asked.

Slade shifted his jaw and Dick was pretty sure it was as painful as pulling teeth for the mercenary to reply,

“Yes.”

“His opinion really matters to you, doesn’t it?” the acrobat asked softly. Slade nodded wordlessly so Dick went on. “Kind of like how Bruce’s matters to me.”

“That’s not-” Slade cut himself off. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I suppose it is the same.”

“Well, Wintergreen approves,” the acrobat said as Slade pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car. “And that’s all that matters.”

“Is it?” Slade asked. “What about Wayne?”

“Bruce is never going to approve,” Dick replied quickly, not wanting to talk about it. “But Wintergreen does and like I said, that’s what matters.”

“I suppose so,” Slade agreed. With a smile, he added, “For now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know your thoughts!!!


End file.
